Primary Source

Highlights from 'What Happened'

The cover of the memoir written by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan is shown on May 28, 2008. (Reuters)

Some revealing passages from Scott McClellan's just-released book about his time in the Bush White House, "What Happened," as selected by Michael D. Shear:

On President Bush:

In the years to come, as I worked closely with President Bush, I would come to believe that sometimes he convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment. It is not unlike a witness in court who does not want to implicate himself in wrongdoing, but is also concerned about perjuring himself. So he says, "I do not recall." ... Bush, similarly, has a way of falling back on the hazy memory defense to protect himself from potential political embarrassment.

On Karl Rove:

Karl is without a doubt one of the brightest political talents of our time, thanks to his boundless energy and enthusiasm, his deep historical knowledge, and his keen insights into the electorate. ... Karl also has a reputation as a ruthless, perhaps unscrupulous operator and has always struck me as the kind of person who would be
willing, in the heat of battle, to push the envelope to the limit of what's permissible ethically or legally.

On openness:

The Bush administration lacked real accountability in large part because Bush himself did not embrace openness or government in the sunshine. His belief in secrecy and compartmentalization was activated when controversy began to stir. That secrecy ended up delaying but not preventing the consequences. Resistance to openness in times of controversy is ultimately self-defeating in the age of the internet,
blogosphere, and today's heightened media scrutiny.

On Lawrence Lindsay's comments that the war would cost $100-200
billion:

Lindsay's biggest mistake wasn't the size of the figures he chose to cite. It was citing any figures at all. Talking about the projected cost of a potential war wasn't part of the script, especially not when the White House was in the crucial early stages of building broad public support. In fact, none of the possible unpleasant consequences of war -- casualties, economic effects, geopolitical risks, diplomatic
repercussions -- were part of the message.

On the media:

If anything, the national press corps was probably too deferential to
the White House and to the administration in regard to the most important decision facing the nation during my years in Washington, the choice of whether to go to war in Iraq. The collapse of the administration's rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise ... the press should have picked up the slack but largely failed to do so because their focus was elsewhere -- on covering the march to war, instead of the necessity of war.

On the War:

In Iraq, Bush saw his opportunity to create a legacy of greatness.
Intoxicated by the influence and power of America, Bush believed that
a successful transformation of Iraq could be the linchpin for
realizing his dream of a free Middle East. But there was a problem
here, which has become obvious to me only in retrospect...Bush and his
advisers knew that the American people would almost certainly not
support a war launched primarily for the ambitious purpose of
transforming the Middle East.

...

Rather than open this Pandora's box, the administration chose a
different path -- not employing out-and-out deception but shading the
truth; downplaying the major reason for going to war and emphasizing a
lesser motivation that could arguably be dealt with in other ways
(such as intensified diplomatic pressure); trying to make the WMD
threat and the Iraqi connection to terrorism appear just a little more
certain, a little less questionable, than they were; quietly ignoring
or disregarding some of the crucial caveats in the intelligence and
minimizing evidence that pointed in the opposite drection; using
innuendo and implication to encourage Americans to believe as fact
some things that were unclear and possibly false (such as the idea
that Saddam had an active nuclear weapons program) and other things
that were overplayed or completely wrong (such as implying Saddam
might have an operational relationship with al Qaeda).

On Hurricane Katrina:

Many within the White House were in denial about the administration's
responsibility for Katrina...we largely ignored the fact that the
federal government was the vital backup, the fail-safe mechanism
supposed to compensate for breakdowns at the lower levels. When you're
president, the buck stops with you -- a lesson George W. Bush still
hadn't fully absorbed.

On the CIA leak case:

Clearly, I had allowed myself to be deceived. In the coming weeks and
months, I would discover that the deceit went well beyond Rove.

Wake up! There is no justification for the Iraq war, the only way to support the troops is to withdraw them. The suicide rate in US military is the highest it has ever been since they started tracking the stat in 1980.

You obviously don't have family in Iraq, unless you wish them a meaningless death.

Posted by: Dave | May 29, 2008 11:58 PM

suppport our troops whatever the case, they are our brothers, friends, relatives, sisters, husbands fathers and wives.
The best that we as Americans can do is to support our troops with all our strength and might. Let the political class sort itself out. love you all

The Bush administration is all liars and war criminals - McClellan is included in that, he wants to distance himself from the rest of them, but he's just as guilty as the rest of them. We need a Nuremburg Trials for these pack of war criminals. "I was just following orders" will not be accepted as an excuse.

Posted by: Old Enough | May 29, 2008 11:04 AM

when all the major players in the administration repeat the same phrsases over and over on all media outlets, word for word, and take every oportunity to so again and again, its called propaganda. Look for them to do it again reference Scott McClellan...disgruntled employee, incompetent, not the Scott we knew, selling a book. They wont engage on the issues he raises. They will run a campaign against Scott just like they ran a campaign to to get us into Iraq. Its how GWB does buisness. When the truth doesnt fit his ends, he creates his own truth.

Posted by: Joebob | May 29, 2008 10:50 AM

Mr. Bush is a failure, pure and simple:

o To wage his folly in Iraq, he diverted resources from the true problem - Afganistan.
o Osama is still loose. So much for W's pledge to "bring the evil-doer to justice"
o The only reason "al Qaeda in Iraq" exists is due to the George Bush's invasion.
o 10 out of 10 terrorists agree: George Bush's "policies" have been the best thing ever to help their recruiting efforts!

Posted by: Common Sense | May 29, 2008 10:49 AM

"In the coming weeks and months, I would discover that the deceit went well beyond Rove."

What's scary is that he says that like it is an _unusual_ thing! Translation: "This time, the lies weren't all coming from Karl Rove."

Posted by: Roger Terrance | May 29, 2008 9:49 AM

Words can not describe the mess we are all in. Get these crooks out of OUR WH! Now!!

Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2008 9:18 AM

When was the last time you saw an American GI get into a car loaded with explosives and drive into the middle of a market place?

If Americia was ever invaded and occupied, and a GI drove a car filled with explosives would you call him a terrorist? I guess it's whatever arrogant perspective you want to look at it.

Posted by: DON | May 29, 2008 8:45 AM

When was the last time you saw an American GI get into a car loaded with explosives and drive into the middle of a market place?

If Americia was ever invaded and occupied, and a GI drove a car filled with explosives would you call him a terrorist? I guess it's whatever arrogant perspective you want to look at it.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2008 8:45 AM

How come Bush administration keeps on repeating the same line over and over again? "Every thought the same thing before the war about WMD." How childish they int he government are.. Where is the sense of responsibility comes with the highest office in the country? It is like we are dealing with a bunch of school children!! He had all the powers in the world.. with all that, he still couldn't get his facts straight about Iraq before the war? I guess an ordinary man gets charged with man slaughter upon killing a person without intent to do so. When it comes to this magnitude of deaths, nobody gets charged... I am so disgusted..

Posted by: Patrick | May 29, 2008 8:01 AM

I am constantly amazed at how many vocal Americans treat politics as if it were a football game, backing their own "team" insulting the other one no matter what the circumstances.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats are the root of all evil. Both parties have run successful governments in the past.

That's why I'm astounded that anyone could think that Bush's administration has, in any way, done a good job. It's got nothing to do with his party. They (mostly neo-cons) have little to do with traditional Republican policies. Bush & co. have spent more, undermined the constitution, and in instituted more control over the people than any admin before (Rep or Dem). How can any self-respecting Republican continue to support this travesty of an administration that continues to undermine everything that Republicans have stood for over their entire history?

The only thing that makes any sense is that you don't understand that politics is not football. A bad government is bad for everyone, not just their "team".

Posted by: Chad | May 29, 2008 6:56 AM

The "Culture of Corruption" is a direct correlation to the stupid dems that have pretty much ruined this economy. Scot has gone to the dark side. Err I mean left.

Ah, deomocrats whining about how republicans have voted in a primary which means something to them. Considering this is calling the kettle black and knowing this went on with Dems in other republican primaries. Cry more its what democrats do best.

Scot is following other staffers that in recent history have become disgruntled once they have left office and fill their eyes with dollar signs. This has happened in every administration as far back as Nixon's that I can recall. It happened in Clinton's, Bush Senior's, Regan's, Carter's and Ford's.

Clinton in 1998 signed into law that the policy of the USA was for regime change in Iraq. Where was everyone in 1998? Oh yeah saying Saddam had WMD's etc. Even Clinton himself said Saddam had them. So if Clinton and people like Kerry, Murtha and McCain didn't try to cut our National Intelligence Organizations down to nothing, maybe we would have better intelligence in this country. But its not hard to do when you have a president like Clinton dumbing down the American public.

Just take a look at this thread to see an example.

Todd, Clive and Jack - tin foil hats are now on sale. Get them quick before the guys in black helicopters swoop them up!

Posted by: David | May 29, 2008 4:26 AM

Lol what a joke the lot of you are. You sit here demand that we have lower gas prices and claim that we went to Iraq for the oil. You claim that some disgruntled employee spouts truth when you and I know all to well any disgruntled employee will say anything in opposition to the employer who gave him the paycheckjust because they don't like them anymore. Is this anymore truth than any other? Who knows we weren't there.

As far as the guy in East Africa? Really the Bush Administration killed more than the Saddam Administration? Hmm remember the Iran-Iraq war? Over a million Iraqi's were killed in that quagmire. What about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens that disappeared and have been found in mass graves? Last count i heard was somewhere close to half a million citizens were in those graves. what about the daily homocide bombings that go on in Iraq from lunatic whacko's who have come to Iraq at the behest of Al Qaida and AL Sadr to fight and kill the Iraqis and the Allied troops? As it stands now it is these terrorists that are killing the Iraqis not the allied troops.

When was the last time you saw an American GI get into a car loaded with explosives and drive into the middle of a market place?

Foreign terrorests are killing Iraqi's and yoou want to blame the Bush administration. Truth be told, if these foreign terrorists stayed out of Iraq and let the Iraq govt form peacefully, america and all the other countries would have been out there long long ago. Place the blame on them not on the Bush Administration which did not forsee this hiccup in their plan.

Whats wrong with Iraq paying for their freedom? Why Must America foot this bill? They pay with the only commodity that they have that is worth anything, oil. America didn't go in for the oil. However it will be with oil the Iraqi's need to pay for this war.

Why don't yoou talk abou the recent security agreement that Iraq made with the USA?

Posted by: Carl | May 29, 2008 4:12 AM

If a whole admistration of such a powerful state is decietful to its own citizens what about what it can do to weaker states that might even need its assisstance and protection? The answer is obvious,its gonna be rape of the highest order.Thanks Scottie for your boldness,other seemingly powerfull men have chosen to be raped and have remained quiet in the nations hour of need because of fear of back-lash.They now run helplessly with the hound GW Bush

Posted by: takaedza | May 29, 2008 4:10 AM

Impeachment is not necessary. Just preserve the evidence. We can do proper investigations, and trials if necessary after sanity has been restored to the whitehouse.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2008 3:49 AM

The Bush Administration only wanted oil from Iraq, and along the way, they have killed more people that Saddam did!!!!! What a shame, what about the trauma faced by American soldiers ( Veterans), what about tose who have died in the fight, was it worth it any way, what about the cost????????? many questions are yet to be asked and many more to be answered!!!

Posted by: Baingana Daniel-Uganda(East Africa) | May 29, 2008 3:31 AM

What Bill Clinton did to a few women George Bush did to us all."
READ ARMED MADHOUSE BY GREG PALAST!

Posted by: JT | May 29, 2008 12:26 AM

JackSmith: I wish you could get your message out to more places.

It's very important and true.

Keep trying. I'm sending some money to Hillary tomorrow.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 28, 2008 11:52 PM

Eh, they'll just replace the tatty old March of Freedom rationale with a gunned-up new one.

Oil: You Know You Want It.

That'll sell, I kid you not.

.

Posted by: VCDaedalus | May 28, 2008 11:51 PM

DON'T BE DUPED AGAIN AMERICA !!!

IT'S ABOUT ELECTABILITY !!!

Large numbers of BUSH_McCain Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses from early on with the backing and help of the medical and insurance industry. Under the direction of the George Bush, and Karl Rove vote fraud, and vote manipulation machine. Because they feel Barack Obama would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And they want to stop Hillary Clinton from fixing the HUGE! American, and Global mess they have created. shocking!!! isn't it. Just gotta love those good old draft dodging, silver spoon Texas boys. Not! :-(

You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don't want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-selves off of you, and your children's suffering.

With Hillary Clinton you are almost 100% certain to get quality affordable universal health care for everyone very soon. And you are also certain to see major improvements in the economy for everyone.

The American people face even worse catastrophes ahead than the ones you are living through now. It will take all of the skills, and experience of Hillary Clinton to pull the American people out of this mess we are in. Fortunately fixing up, and cleaning up others incompetence, immoral degeneracy, and mess is what the Clinton's do very well.

Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama's. She also leads in the electoral college numbers that you must win to become President in the November national election. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!

Just look at Oregon for example. Obama won Oregon by about 70,000 votes. But approximately 79,000 Bush republicans switched party's back in January to vote for Obama in the democratic primary. They are not going to vote for, or support any Democrat in November. Are you DEMOCRATS going to put up with that. Are you that stupid, and weak. The Bush republicans think you are that stupid, and weak.

As much as 30% of Obama's primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses, and open primaries where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help. Except North Carolina where 35% of the population is African American, and approximately 90% of them block voted for him. African Americans are only approximately 17% of the general population.

Hillary Clinton has been OUT MANNED! and OUT SPENT! 4 and 5 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton. This is even more phenomenal when you consider she has been also fighting against the George Bush, Karl Rove vote fraud machine in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Hillary Clinton is STUNNING!.

If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. That is crystal clear now. Because all of the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. And the demographics, and experience are completely against him. All of this vote fraud and Bush republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is.

You will have another McGovern catastrophe where George McGovern lost 49 of 50 states. And was the reason the super-delegates were created to keep that from happening again. Don't let that happen to the party and America again super-delegates. You have the power to prevent it. The only important question now is who can best win in November. And the answer is HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. That fact is also now crystal clear.

And YOUNG PEOPLE. DON'T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose. As do African Americans. Support Hillary Clinton. She will do her best for all of you. And she will know how to best get it done on day one.

The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.

The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.

Fortunately the Clinton's have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic, and heroic comebacks of Hillary Clinton's. Only the Clinton's are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen. Probably the best there has ever been. :-)

Large numbers of BUSH_McCain Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses from early on with the backing and help of the medical and insurance industry. Under the direction of the George Bush, and Karl Rove vote fraud, and vote manipulation machine. Because they feel Barack Obama would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And they want to stop Hillary Clinton from fixing the HUGE! American, and Global mess they have created. shocking!!! isn't it. Just gotta love those good old draft dodging, silver spoon Texas boys. Not! :-(

You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don't want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-selves off of you, and your children's suffering.

With Hillary Clinton you are almost 100% certain to get quality affordable universal health care for everyone very soon. And you are also certain to see major improvements in the economy for everyone.

The American people face even worse catastrophes ahead than the ones you are living through now. It will take all of the skills, and experience of Hillary Clinton to pull the American people out of this mess we are in. Fortunately fixing up, and cleaning up others incompetence, immoral degeneracy, and mess is what the Clinton's do very well.

Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama's. She also leads in the electoral college numbers that you must win to become President in the November national election. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!

Just look at Oregon for example. Obama won Oregon by about 70,000 votes. But approximately 79,000 Bush republicans switched party's back in January to vote for Obama in the democratic primary. They are not going to vote for, or support any Democrat in November. Are you DEMOCRATS going to put up with that. Are you that stupid, and weak. The Bush republicans think you are that stupid, and weak.

As much as 30% of Obama's primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses, and open primaries where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help. Except North Carolina where 35% of the population is African American, and approximately 90% of them block voted for him. African Americans are only approximately 17% of the general population.

Hillary Clinton has been OUT MANNED! and OUT SPENT! 4 and 5 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton. This is even more phenomenal when you consider she has been also fighting against the George Bush, Karl Rove vote fraud machine in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Hillary Clinton is STUNNING!.

If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. That is crystal clear now. Because all of the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. And the demographics, and experience are completely against him. All of this vote fraud and Bush republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is.

You will have another McGovern catastrophe where George McGovern lost 49 of 50 states. And was the reason the super-delegates were created to keep that from happening again. Don't let that happen to the party and America again super-delegates. You have the power to prevent it. The only important question now is who can best win in November. And the answer is HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. That fact is also now crystal clear.

And YOUNG PEOPLE. DON'T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose. As do African Americans. Support Hillary Clinton. She will do her best for all of you. And she will know how to best get it done on day one.

The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.

The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.

Fortunately the Clinton's have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic, and heroic comebacks of Hillary Clinton's. Only the Clinton's are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen. Probably the best there has ever been. :-)

== Orifice ==
With Scott McClellan proving that he speaks out of both sides of his mouth, I have to wonder what orifice he used to communicate this book and will use on his book tour.

Posted by: N Waff | May 28, 2008 10:57 PM

Let's face it. If Scott McClellan wrote a book in which he said that Karl Rove was a political genius and that George W. Bush was the second coming of Lincoln, it would not sell very many copies.

So there has to be a little dirt to make the book provocative. The problem is stature. McClellan's is similar to Richard Clarke who apologized before the 9/11 Commission for allowing the attack to happen.

Clarke did not have the stature to make that apology and McClellan does not have the stature to point out the faults of the Bush Administration of which there are many.

It is almost comical how once again the Plame-Wilson affair is resurrected in this book. The special prosecutor got a conviction of the lowest person on the lowest possible charge. Get over it. Plame-Wilson is not going to bring down the Administration no matter who writes a book.

Posted by: danielhancock | May 28, 2008 10:54 PM

Complete white trash in the white house.
You and I are paying for it.

Posted by: Dr. Pantel | May 28, 2008 9:09 PM

Wake up America!!! George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz, Dennis Hastert, and Michael Hayden have unmasked themselves as the biggest criminals in U.S. and human history and dared anyone including the FBI to stop them; and they have arrogantly deceived everyone, poisoned everyone who drinks tap water, eats food containing tap water, and uses toothpaste containing radioactive fluoride provided by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld's "other" company that provides virtually ALL the radioactive Fluoride to All municipalities which has the chemical symbol (F) which I will let you insert into its proper place (between the I & E)in the company's name as it should be so everyone can know the origin, the truth, and the true identitiy of LUCIER INDUSTRIES and the key component of their weapon system radioactive fluoride(F). There is nothing you can do to rewrite what has already transpired but you can demand truth, justice, and accountability. If the FBI refuses to do its job to protect the United States of America and its citizens from Public Corruption at the highest level using the Federal RICO laws and subsequently arrest George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld. Dennis Hastert. Paul Wolfawitz, and Michael Hayden then I have given you the key and power to do so by abstaining from the poison and control of their weapon system whose central and key component is radioactive fluoride with the chemical sysmbol(F) which has poisoned every US citizen through the tap water you drink, the foods containing tap water you eat, and radioactive fluoridated toothpaste you wipe on your teeth that not only does not protect bones but accelerates their demolition. Radioactive Fluoride (F) as provided by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld's other company LUCIER INDUSTRIES which originated at the Department of Defense's Pentagon Strategic Warfare & Public Population Control Unit is the cornerstone and key component of the most extensive population control weapon ever invented and distributed by stealth and secrecy into ALL the water you drink and ALL the water in the foods you eat which contain tap water and into active fluoride toothpastes(and you are 80% water so do the math if you can still perform simple arithmetic; and better still is to completely understand radioactive fluoride tap water, radioactive fluoride tap water containing foods, radioactive fluoride toothpaste, LUCIER CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (**oops i meant LUCI(F)ER CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES), what a radionucleotide is, what fluoride actually is, how fluoride actually works, how fluoride interacts with radio waves as in radio waves emitted by radio based weapon systems or any radio waves for that matter, how a remote control works as in the remote control toys you had as a kid (for the most part you had total control of the toy--how it moved, how it stopped and started--and if it could have talked you would have been able to make it say what you wanted-- via remote control and it is in this way that the illegal weapon systems of the Bush Administration are being used against not enemies but the entire population of the United States of America and it is SICK, PERVERTED, EVIL, WRONG, AND CRIMINAL BEYOND COMPREHENSION. This is what the actual George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Dennis Hastert, Paul Wolfawitz, and Michael Hayden are about, what they stand for, what they are engaged in and what they have done to every citizen of the United States of America. Stop being victimized, take back your country from the criminals that have stolen it from you, shut down LUCI(F)ER CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, clean the radioactive Fluoride(F)poison from your bodies and minds, clean the radioactive Fluoride(F)from the public tap water system that delivers the radioactive Fluoride(F)to you and your family in the water you drink and foods you eat at home and at work and reject radioactive Fluoride(F)toothpaste which is nothing less a quarter of a fatal dose of radioactive Fluoride(F)each time you brush your teeth. If the FBI will not shut down the illegal weapons operations and population control operations of the Pentagon and the Bush Adninistration then you ALL can do it simply by abstaining from the key ingredient (radioactive Fluoride (F))of their weapons systems. Wouldn't it be nice to see clearly, hear clearly, think clearly, know clearly, and step out of the radioactive prison of deception you are now in and into life for the first time since radioactive fluoride was introduced into our water, food, and air. Save your life, cure your disease, cure your cancer, cure your poor eyesight, cure your poor hearing, cure your dementia, cure everything wrong that "should not be so" simply by abstaining from the central component of their illegal weapons systems and population control systems, the nervous system invading, controlling, and destroying radioactive Fluoride (F). Trust me; ignorance is not bliss as you will remain in this LUCIFERIAN radioactive prison until you are no longer ignorant. If you have understood what I have told you then you know I HAVE TOLD YOU THE TRUTH AND THE KEY TO LIFE. May God Bless America again after the criminals are removed from office!!!!

Posted by: Todd Restelli | May 28, 2008 8:55 PM

Hey Kevin Morgan,

Keep your eyes on the prize. Wouldn't it take longer to impeche the President than he has in office? Just remember who to vote for. Oh. Not a voting member? Hmmmm.

Posted by: Does it matter? | May 28, 2008 8:25 PM

Allan Greenspan had said the Iraqi War was about oil. Correct, if we had the 120,000 troops used in Iraq in Afghanistan, the Taliban would be routed and the Afghan/Pakistan oil pipeline would be built adding a million barrels a day into production. Oil would have been at $40 a barrel for a decade. Lets invade Iran whose threat ends with 1 cruise missle launched at their Arak reactor when they have purified enough uranium to transfer it there. The added bonus of $100 billion in no bids for favored contractors had Cheney down at Langley daily until the WMD analysis was changed. Rumsfield, Wolfowitz and the worst Bolton all pulled the wool over Powell eyes until they went after Plame and gave up an intelligence asset. Colin looked at the hard data and knew he was wrong on the WMDs. He wanted their resignations, "Lets see what changes in the adminstration take place before I decide to stay", and gave his instead. Lets invade Iran on the ground and stop their oil production. You would have to be insane to even think it sending oil to over $200 a barrel.

Posted by: Jimbo | May 28, 2008 8:22 PM

Hey Todd Restelli,

Been fitted for your bomb vest lately? Wow, so everything is blamed on the Bush's? Some of the B.S. you're citing is anti-american let alone anti-bush.

Posted by: Does it matter? | May 28, 2008 8:19 PM

Vitorbemail,

The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of Patriots and Tyrants, that is the natural manure... what manure are you spreading?

Posted by: Who cares? | May 28, 2008 8:02 PM

Hey Regina,
Parents "off-lilter"? Aren't we getting a little personal? Should we check your parents as well? Obviously, you are a Bush fan that would undoubtedly vote for another Bush if there was anotherone available. Sad. But true. I won't go into details, but please, America, support out troops, even if you don't support the cause.

Posted by: Does it matter? | May 28, 2008 7:52 PM

The other press secretaries are 'blasting' the book, but none of them are saying anything that McClellan said in it is false. What does that tell you? That they know it to be true. Perino is in Bush's employ, and won't say anything.

Posted by: Clive | May 28, 2008 7:33 PM

Wake up America!!! It is no accident your lives are falling apart and your families are disintegrating before your very eyes; It is no accident your houses are plunging in value; it is no accident you cannot pay your bills; it is no accident you have no insurance; it is no accident you are losing your jobs; it is no accident the cost of everything is soaring; it is no accident that gasoline costs $4.10/gallon so to be $$10.00-$12.00/gallon if Bush is allowed to do what he is planning to do; it is no accident John Mccain uttered that the US would have to be in Iraq for 100 years; it is no accident your standard of living and net worth has plunged; it is no accident that your stocks have gone nowhere for 7.4 years; it is no accident Bush has taken over and stolen Ancient Babylon and Anicent Mesapotamia; it is no accident Bush is provoking a confrontation to draw Iran into a Middle Eastern War; it is no accident Osama Bin Laden has not been found becasue he was captured 18 months BEFORE the Iraq war; it is no accident that the automotive industry in America is imploding as are most other manufacturing industries and operations; it is no accident the Pentagon is using the HAARP Weapon system in Alaska to produce holes in the ozone layer that protects the EARTH and YOU; it is no accident that Bush issues illegal signing statements to illegally not follow laws established by Congress; it is no accident that Bush wants immunity for him, his criminal buddies, and the telecom companies because they have participated in conspiracy, murder, rape, mass poisonings, and done all sorts of other abominations on US soil against US citizens and others; it is no accident that Dick Cheney's company Haliburton operates all 36 excavation sites all over Ancient Babylon and Ancient Mesapotamia digging up not WMDs but the "other things" for the Luciferian Masonic Order and more specifically for Lucifer (aka Satan, Samaal, Yaldaboath) the Evil God of the Masons and also the Ancient King of Babylon & Mesapotamia. "Now you know WHY" the Bush Administration, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz, Dennis Hastert, and Michael Hayden: (1)have more than doubled the National Debt (a hidden tax on all of us and our children)in just 7.4 years from $4.4 trillion to $9.1 trillion; and(2)have failed to prepare for the tsunami of baby boomer retirees; and(3)have failed to repair the ozone hole (in fact the Pentagon is deliberately making the hole bigger destroying the ozone with the HAARP Weapon system in Alaska; and(4)have lied to you, me and the whole world about the need to invade Ancient Babylon and Ancient Mesapotamia; and (5)tried to destroy CIA Agent Valerie Plame and her husband Joseph Wilson; and(6)relentlessly attack, persecute and have persecuted ALL former Administration officials who dare to tell the truth and point out the crimes committed by the criminals currently occupying the White House; and(7)have stolen trillions of dollars of your wealth redirecting it into the coffers of Haliburton and Lucier Industries (Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld's other company); and(7)have Fluoridated (poisoned)virtually the entire US water supply and ALL the food which contains fluoridated(poisoned)tap water(who do you think supplies ALL the Fluoride to the municipalities and who's company do you think it is and who worked at DOD when they decided to Fluoridate(poison)the entire water and food supply (effectively poisoning you, me, and ALL of our relatives who have ever lived and are still living since that criminal policy was enacted)with Fluoride(LUCIER INDUSTRIES and I will let you insert the chemical symbol of Fluoride (F) where it belongs in the name of the company between the I & E(this is the in your face criminality and arrogance of LUCIFER and ALL LUCIFERIAN MASONS including George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz, Dennis Hastert, and Michael Hayden). Fluoride is the central and key component of the illegal criminal operations used by the Bush Administration, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Dennis Hastert, Paul Wolfawitz, and Michael Hayden against ALL US citizens as it is a radionucluotide that concentrates in your nervous system which controls every aspect of you and your body (how you age, how you think, how you see, how you hear, how you know). Fluoride is part of a weapon system that has been used against the citizens of the United States of America and its citizens in coordination with telecommunication and radio technologies. In a court of law I can demonstrate FULL remote control of any animal or human with a simple antennae and with enough radioactive fluoride inside the animal or human and this is how they do it and it is SICK, WRONG, PERVERTED, UNJUST, and CRIMINAL in ALL WORLDS; even this one!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!! If you want to see clearly, hear clearly, think clearly, and know clearly the easiest way to do it is stop consuming radioactive fluoride in the water you drink, the food you eat, and the toothpaste you use (look on the label it says active fluoride and it actually destroys bone or you wouldn't get cavities and eventually dentures and osteoporosis). It is the centerpiece and key component of an illegal criminal weapon system and I can assure you it has been used against ALL citizens of the United States of America. It takes about 45 days of fasting from ALL Fluoride for it to start be released by the body for you to know that you have been a vicitm for when it comes out you will see pefectly, hear perfectly, think perfectly, know perfectly, and age perfectly; and about 180 days of complete abstinence from all radioactive fluoride will get it out completely and you will truly be FREE as you were meant to be not in some SICK, PERVERTED, UNJUST ILLEGAL radioactive prison which I can assure you you ALL are in and you will never get out of it if LUCIFER (aka SATAN, SAMMAL, and YALDABOATH)has his way. I have given you the key to get out and be free and hold the criminals accountable by bringing them to justice and doing what is right. Now do it!!!!

Posted by: Todd Restelli | May 28, 2008 7:13 PM

Cindy Sheehan was right in questioning the war,"what noble cause did my son die for?" Now someone from this administration has admitted it, the one who promoted the lies, repeated the lies he was told to tell. Someone in this thread compared this administrations debacle in Iraq to Viet Nam, and there are similarities, but a more apt comparison would be the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian war, now 60 years and counting. Then there was the lie that this war wouldn't cost Americans "one red cent." That it would be paid for with oil the Iraqis would be pumping and giving to us out of gratitude. Yer doin' a heckuva job George... Oh yeah, Katrina! Do you remember Crazy Ali telling us the Americans weren't any where near Bagdhad as an American tank rolled by in the background? That was what Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld looked like while telling us how great the war was going, "They'll welcome us with open arms!" while 4000 American soldiers and untold numbers of Iraqi women and children died everyday. Now Perino is doing the same thing Scot did, they just don't get it.

Posted by: papasoji | May 28, 2008 7:04 PM

Mike Shear's article on Scot McClennan's book is completely lop-sided.
He chose the most sensational comments on various subjects and displayed them as if he and McClellan were Aaron and Moses and the words were written in stone.
Typically, no rebuttal comments appear from previous Press Secretary #1-Ari Feischer or from Press Secretary #3-Dana Perino. Let me see, 2 of 3 press secretaries blast the book, but that doesn't warrant comment or look to the credibilty of the author? Neither do comments from other ex-staffers, who are dumbfounded by the book. The fact McClellan stayed on the job for so long proves he was spineless and/or not bothered by anything for 3 years! Did the WPost reporters do any backround work on McClellan? Even we outsiders know Scot's parents were off-kilter. And why didn't the Post dig into this thing to see what axes Scot was grinding or other motives?
Surely, the timing for the release of the book was calculated as well. That didn't raise any red flags with you.
Even Bob Woodward's book laid the blame on Donald Rumsfeld for the "Attack Iraq" mantra - not Bush. And press secretaries dont attend National Security Council meetings, do they?

I'm no fan of Bush and believe Iraq was a blunder. But what happened to "real reporting" work as in the Bradley days at the Post? You guys are becoming as off-kilter as Scot's folks. But, since you didn't look into them, you wouldn't recognize that in yourselves.

Posted by: Regina Rynn | May 28, 2008 6:29 PM

Good, but he will never replace Elliot Richardson who resigned from Attoney
General rather than firing the special
prosecutor.The deed is worth doing but
the timing leaves much to be desired.
As most of the people who voted twice
against GWB I am not suprised with the
message as much as with who the messenger
was.Better late than never,but how much
more I would have liked hearing this when
the war was first being debated.This may
hurt McCain more than Bush,but anything
which helps the American people realize
the sooner we are gone from Iraq the better
can't be bad.

Posted by: idigVampi | May 28, 2008 6:10 PM

The trick for the american people is to try not to get taken in. A lot were taken in (manipulated

into believing) about the China situation. Over a year ago Bush didn't like what he heard about

the trade deficit (China selling the US more goods than the US can sell to the chinese) So he

tried to just 'tell them' (like he's god) to rein-in their currency. They wouldn't do it, it

wasn't economical sense for them. So he manipulates the press into manipulating the people to

children's toys, etc. I ask you!! Chinese toys have had the same amount of lead paint 9 months

ago as 20 years ago. Bush is just a manipulator, and he uses his press secretary to do it. The

next manipulation they'll be doing is to say that certain refineries have had a strike, or that a

factory has been closed down, and that's the reason for high gas prices. They won't admit that

the venezuelans and iranians and Saudi Arabia and Russia are cutting down or stopping selling oil

to the US. And not taking US dollar currency for it. Or that iraqis who don't want the US to

steal its oil have blown up a pipeline. Or they'll spin it that it wasn't iraqis but terrorists

that blew it up. (But if you asked the guys their nationality they'd say iraqi.)

Posted by: Clive | May 28, 2008 6:06 PM

Well AS IF WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS! |I was waiting for someone on the inside to finally come out with the TRUTH! Maybe now the american people will rise up and do something about instead of being so self involved.

Posted by: sassyred | May 28, 2008 5:59 PM

Todd Restelli, please take a few deep breaths. There you go...breathe, breathe...get some oxygen into your gray cells and you will feel better. While a lot of what you say might have merit, you are coming off as unbalanced, and defeating your own purpose.

Posted by: kathy strong | May 28, 2008 5:54 PM

Depending on what source you read this war has resulted in over 500,000 deaths in Iraq. Saddam was painted as a killer of supposedly over 100,000 of his own people and we publicly hanged him for that. What would be appropriate for Bush and his circle who started this self serving war?

Posted by: victorbemail | May 28, 2008 5:46 PM

I have known most of this for a long time
but it is nice that an insider is coming out to validate these truths.

Posted by: Light | May 28, 2008 5:35 PM

Contact your congressman and tell them that enough is enough. We want impeachment proceedings to begin immediately. His spokesperson witnesses that he lied us into war...knowingly. And Rove and Libby need to be prosecuted for obstructing the Plame investigation. These are crimes that cannot be ignored without congress being partners in the crimes.

Posted by: Kevin Morgan | May 28, 2008 5:26 PM

All this talk of occult practices is giving us devil worshipers a bad name.

Posted by: DR. LARRY | May 28, 2008 5:25 PM

Hello America! Before the November 2006 mid term elections I wrote to you in many publications often with several comments posted for each story in an attempt to WAKE YOU UP from your sleep and to get you to realize what was actually going on; and everything I wrote to you was and is EXACTLY and PERFECTLY TRUE;and now 1.5 years later YOU CAN NOW SEE I WAS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH; and all you have to do is put the puzzle pieces together to SEE THE ENTIRE TRUTH(like when you were a child assembling tinker toys or puzzles from so many 100's of separate pieces to assemble a perfect toy or picture); without assembling all the pieces together YOU WOULD NEVER SEE the toy or the picture and so it is, too, with assembling THE RICO PUBLIC CORRUPTION CASE against the Bush Administration, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz, Dennis Hastert, and Michael Hayden; (i.e. IT IS TIME TO ASSEMBLE ALL THE EXISTING PUZZLE PIECES OF EVIDENCE AGAINST THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, GEORGE W. BUSH, DICK CHENEY, DONALD RUMSFELD, PAUL WOLFAWITZ, DENNIS HASTERT, MICHAEL HAYDEN; AND THE FBI HAS ALL THE PUZZLE PIECES IT WILL EVER NEED; AND IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY DONE SO THEN IT NEEDS TO ASSEMBLE THEM PROPERLY TO SEE THE PERFECT BIG PICTURE TRUTH AND TAKE SWIFT AND FORCEFUL ACTION BY FILING THE RICO CASE AND ARRESTING GEORGE W. BUSH, RICHARD CHENEY, DONALD RUMSFELD, PAUL WOLFAWITZ, DENNIS HASTERT, AND MICHAEL HAYDEN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE AND THEY MAKE THINGS FAR WORSE THAN THEY ALREADY HAVE. THE UNITED STATES IS AT A TIPPING POINT FROM WHICH I AM AFRAID WE WILL NEVER RECOVER UNLESS THE FBI IMMEDIATELY UTILIZES IT'S POWER TO ENFORCE THE LAWS (RICO & PUBLIC CORRUPTION)THAT ARE THERE TO PROTECT US (THE UNITED STATES AND IT'S CITIZENS)FROM THE VERY CRIMINAL ABUSES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. May God Bless America and Wake Up all who are sleeping!!!!

Posted by: Todd Restelli | May 28, 2008 5:22 PM

One could tell when Scot came out that day to tell America that Rove and Scooter had nothing to do with Plame that there was the look in his eyes that he had just been totally lied to by these two, and then forced out on the stage of America to validate their lies. I am sure it was Dick Cheney who pushed him out to say it also.

Posted by: jakel | May 28, 2008 5:08 PM

If you are serving in Iraq right now and see this story. What are you thinking? Your life has been turned upside down last few years over Iraq war. What are you thinking after seeing this story?

Posted by: Tim | May 28, 2008 4:58 PM

America is finally coming out of the Bush-induced stupor of 2000. All in the name of oil and money for Bush and friends, or as he so eloquently put it...the haves and the have mores. The blood of our youth will not wash easily from the hands of the perpetrators of this administration. The shame is on all who listened to the Bush-Republican spin meisters and gave him the keys to Fort Knox. For shame, for shame.

Thank you Scott for having the guts (now that momma isn't running for office) to show that the Emporer Bush has no clothes.

Posted by: scudyjott | May 28, 2008 4:54 PM

I knew Bush was trouble when before he ever declared his candidacy for US President, he had already garned more corporate funding than any other President. BOUGHT and PAID FOR by the corporations, who have been pillaging the Treasury ever since. Oh, yes, let The FBI and the Justice Department have at him, and his minions, and believe me, prison is too good for them, him, the whole venemous Bush administration. Undo the Supreme Court appointments as well. Take out the trash.

Posted by: Tom | May 28, 2008 4:53 PM

He aint sayin' one thing we don't already know...or figured out shortly after 9/11 when this administration was doing everything it could to paint Iraq as an accomplish. At the time I thought that dog don't hunt and I was RIGHT. If I could see it, a republican child care provider, lots of others could too. Unfortunately the administration made protesters feel Un American...

Posted by: virginia | May 28, 2008 4:45 PM

Wake Up America!!! When are you going to put all the puzzle pieces together and realize what you have just witnessed over the last 7.4 years is a systematic criminal demolition of the United States of America from the inside out by the enemy within the highest offices of our country using illegal criminal planning, strategy, actions,and operations in stealth and secrecy with premeditation and calculation by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz, Dennis Hastert, Michael Hayden, and many other men. These are not good men and they do not serve a higher purpose or a good god. These men belong to the Masonic Order which is a LUCIFERIAN CULT that serves LUCIFER (his other names are SATAN, SAMAAL, YALADABAOTH). The Bush Administration is an abomination to the United States of America, its citizens, the entire world, its citizens, the entire universe, its citizens, all of existense, and all of its citizens.

Posted by: Todd Restelli | May 28, 2008 4:35 PM

Allan Greenspan had said the Iraqi War was about Oil. President Bush says it was about turning Iraq into Allies, just like Germany and Japan became Us Allies after World War II. What Scot did not realise was the truth in the statements by these two gentlemen. Oil plus Conquest equals Democracy. There's nothing Bushy or Deceitful about that. Any American President could have done it. Even Clinton did it Libya. Have we forgotten the false accusation of Libya in the Lockerbie bombing? It was the beginning of the War Against Terror. But has it democratised Libya? One easy way to democratise the world and turn every nation into an American Ally is to overrun the whole world.

Posted by: Kip Klap | May 28, 2008 4:31 PM

Wake Up America!!! America when will you wake up from your sleep and live again???? The Bush Administration, each and every part and component, is and has been the largest ongoing criminal enterprise in the history of humanity that has completely deceived & vicitmized the entire United States of America, its citizens, the whole world, and its citizens in stealth and secrecy; and arrogantly planning and executing the biggest criminal deception in human history destroying our formerly great country from the inside out while breaking thousands of laws and stealing trillions of our dollars and failing to address the REAL THREATS TO AMERICA (the tsunmai of retiring baby boomers, water system insecurity and impurity, soaring methane and carbon levels that have the earth on the cusp of a tipping point, and lastly the Pentagon's practice of using the HAARP weapon system in Alaska to deliberately make holes in the ozone). The FBI has the power to arrest the President and Vice President for any of the thousands of laws they ahve broken and can prosecute them using the Federal RICO laws to immediately put a stop to the criminal operations. Call the FBI and ask them why they haven't done their jobs as they are the agency with the role and authority of enforcing the laws that protect the The United States of America and it's citizens from Public Corruption (especially inside the White House). Make no mistake about it when the FULL TRUTH is revealed now or when the new adminstration takes over there will be FULL HEARINGS and FULL ACCOUNTABILITY and FULL JUSTICE WILL BE DONE and everything the Bush Administration has done will be REVERSED IN FULL. It would be ironic if the FBI arrested the sitting President and Vice President for any of the thousands of crimes they have committed BEFORE they make things any worse than they already have since the President & Vice President deliberately sought to extinguish the FBI's authority over them but the FBI still can arrest & prosecute the President & Vice President using the Federal RICO laws for Public Corruption; in fact the Bush Administration (most specifically George W. Bush & Richard Cheney)has made the case against its ownself overwhelming, undeniable, and irrefuteable. The FBI has all the evidence it needs and will ever need; it just needs to have the courage to do the RIGHT thing before it's too late. Because I can assure you it, too, will be revealed that the FBI had all the evidence it needed and failed to act to protect the United States of America and its citizens from the enemy within that is systematilcally destroying our formerly great country from within the highest offices of our country if it fails to immediately arrest the sitting President and Vice President. May God Bless America and make our country great again when the criminals are removed and prosecuted and the Bright Shing Light of Truth destroys and reverses all the damage they have done to our formerly great democracy.

Posted by: Todd Restelli | May 28, 2008 4:17 PM

I think it's WONDERFUL that this finally came out... being a veteran of the VietNam war, I always pictured the Iraqi war was somewhat similar. Troops killed, over 58,000 in VietNam and over 4,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan so far,and for WHAT??? You go Scottie... the truth has been told, a little late, but what the hey...

Posted by: Johannes | May 28, 2008 4:13 PM

Oh Scotty, how many more revelations will there be? Is there no balm in Gilead? No rest for the wicked? How many more months to go? How many more denials...?

Posted by: Cameron Coltharp | May 28, 2008 4:06 PM

What's wrong? What did I do?! I don't understand why they keep saying these things.
It was a good idea! And Papa said I done right. Just trust me!! Please?

Posted by: George | May 28, 2008 4:00 PM

I do not pretend to be a political analyst, nor am I privy to any inside info; I am just your average working woman relying on the "powers that be" to make the right decisions and take the appropriate actions to secure my freedom and security every day. Over the fifty-plus years of my life, I have watched this country, from the top down, change from an entity to be proud of to a joke in the eyes of most of the world, starting here at home, and it saddens me. Naive as it will probably sound to you political intellectuals out there, what I wish is that Mr. McClellan had found the guts to speak out while still in his job, and then resign in protest. His words would have carried a lot more weight if he had done so, and would not now be looked upon as an attention- or- money-hungry move on his part.

Posted by: kathy strong | May 28, 2008 3:59 PM

Bush's entrance into this war put him into a position where most President's find themselves during their tenure during a war: An egoistical unswerving belief that they are correct in their decisions until convinced otherwise by expert advisers around them and/or the pressure of public opinion. Wilson had to, Roosevelt had to, Truman had to Johnson too.. The difference between those Presidents and Bush is their egos were more intelligently balanced enough by which their decisions were not affected by self-denial and mis-placed pride as were Bush's As the saying goes, you can tell a person by the friends he keeps.

Posted by: Joseph Cardinale | May 28, 2008 3:50 PM

Disgruntled but truthful. Another nail in the Bush Admin. coffin.

Posted by: G. Mander | May 28, 2008 3:47 PM

So they lie we know.

Posted by: elmo t | May 28, 2008 3:44 PM

Well done Scott. Its always good to see some insider info coming to light, especially after what America has gone thru' since The "W"aterboarder moved into the White House. The way Scott describes how the Propaganda machine was used to suck the American people into the useless fruitless war in Iraq, is exactly how Blair slipped it to us in the UK. Thank God we got rid of him. Both "W"aterboarder and Tony "Bliar" should be up on Crimes against Humanity. Go Scott Go. God Bless America.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 28, 2008 3:42 PM

A little late, but better late than never. You are brave and a worthy American Scott. Thank you for your courage.

Posted by: Luck91 | May 28, 2008 3:12 PM

Power corrupts and seduces. Scott obviously fell into this trap and realized it too late to speak up when he was in the circle. Bush and most politicians are out of touch with reality as the majority of us already know. This just confirms this. If Scott were a good Christian, he would donate much of his profits to a cause for peace or to defeat McCain. Another out of touch politician. To stay in Iraq just so we don't taint why our military were wounded and died for is self-serving towards his own legacy. Democracy will not work in the Middle East and we must learn from history that their society and culture won't permit it. Cut our losses and get out and defend terrorism that is rampant within our own country from the number of crimes committed at home.

Posted by: Richard Y | May 28, 2008 3:11 PM

But why should we be srprised to hear AGAIN that the Iraqi war was cooked up and served to the American public with the technique of the big lie? In the rotten soup of the war of "Sadam's Beard", we can find Bush-made ingredients called WMD(Worms, Mud and Dirt), Cheney-sowed seasoning called AlQuida, and stuffed with Crowford-raised rat-meat. No wonder it tastes so Bushlike!!!!! Please go back to some of the tapes of Scott during his days at the Whitehouse. Those who know how human beings body reacts when telling a lie would easily find several instances when his body language betrayed his lips.Finally the honesty in Scott has prevailed. Scott, you deserve your reward for honsety in brisk sales of your book. Enjoy it!!!!!!

Posted by: K. NANA NUAMAH | May 28, 2008 3:01 PM

The Bush administration's policy is to bend reality and sell radical ideas. It's nice to get a peek behind closed doors on occassion. Thanks, Scott.

Posted by: cardno | May 28, 2008 2:47 PM

McClellan may be a disgruntled employee, but it's high time somebody shed some light on the outrageous Washington corruption.

We have a lying POTUS who is still blindly wielding his egotistical super power has seriously jeopardizes our Economy, Credibility and our Country's finest selfless Patriots!

Now the monumental challenge is to try clean up this BUSHY MESS, which will take years but more fearful to think that Mr. McClain might be in the position to continue this messy PROPAGANDA.

Posted by: Disgraceful American Son | May 28, 2008 2:47 PM

I'm not in the States at the moment, can anyone tell me whether FOX News is siding with Bush or McClellan over this?

Posted by: Clive | May 28, 2008 2:46 PM

Someone on here said Bush 'stole' the 2000 and 2004 elections. I think that's probably correct. Let me say in advance - we must not let computerized (touch screen) voting take place this time - THERE MUST BE A PAPER TRAIL

Posted by: Clive | May 28, 2008 2:34 PM

A little disappointed that some of us who ALWAYS KNEW what McClellan is now telling us, never got any respect for it.

I sure hope we CHANT LOUDLY and put the screws to the MEDIA that was too timid to stand up to the lying creeps....

Posted by: Bill C. Jones | May 28, 2008 2:31 PM

This Presidency has been a disaster that keeps on growing. I don't envy the one who takes over, where would one even begin to get this country back on track. But to write a book is par for the course...all the the people connected to Mr. Bush are power and money hungry, out to make as much money as they can before their term ends. And we thought Nixon and Clinton were crooks.

Posted by: Barb | May 28, 2008 2:27 PM

I found a hilarious link that reveals a lot of the overlooked parts of McClellan's book:

mene, mene, tekel, upharsin - the White House is scared by the writing hand. Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfield: Your days are numbered, your shame is not.

Posted by: Hanno Ix | May 28, 2008 2:23 PM

Unfortunately, this most recent report of deception and corruption in the
Bush/Cheney/Rove adminisration further clarifies the obvious. Chicanery knows no bounds. Clearly, a further circling of the burning administrative wagons amongst Bush defenders will continue with claims that the smell of smoke is merely a political illusion, simply "one version" of revealed truth. But how will John McCain reaffirm his ongoing support of the Bush war? Too late for a strategic retreat. Fight on, Big John!

Isn't it amazing that all the ex staffers from the Bush administration who have left office with their moral stature still intact, all say the same thing about Bush, Rove, and Cheney.

Posted by: Bob L | May 28, 2008 2:14 PM

Scott,
where were you when we needed you?

Posted by: zipadeeus | May 28, 2008 2:04 PM

Mr.McClellans'book is only an excamation point and a confirmatiion to what many of us citizens already knew.George Bush and his administration of henchmen stole both the 2000 and 2004 elections! IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN AND SUPPORT.
IN NOVEMBER THE CITIZENS OF THE U.S. MUST CLEAN HOUSE OF ALL THE DYSFUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS IN OUR CONGRESS AND AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE.!

Posted by: Wayne B. | May 28, 2008 2:03 PM

shame on you scott mccllelan.
it was great when you'r on top of the world, but now being amoung us it shows what exactly you are made of....you worthless,spineless,leech.
and don't ever forget scott mc. that "WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR STENCH,WILL COME BACK TO YOU".
have a misserable life,PIG.

Posted by: socrates | May 28, 2008 1:55 PM

This only reconfirms what I've always known about this regime; they're duplicitous, hypocritical, power mongers.
For Scott McClellan to "cleanse his soul" like this, in the face of what guarantees to be the usual onslaught of White House "anti-patriot" negativism, shows that maybe, just maybe, there may be a hint of humanity left in that marble and stone brothel we call Washington.
Like I said... just maybe.

Posted by: Scott | May 28, 2008 1:47 PM

what?

Posted by: free'sha | May 28, 2008 1:45 PM

ha ha ha

Posted by: tamyah | May 28, 2008 1:44 PM

is there anything in the book about gas prices?

Posted by: Ken | May 28, 2008 1:38 PM

I've mixed feelings. Grateful Scott came forward but sorely disappointed his conscience lay dormant as long as it did.

That media were more than willing accomplices to the most corrupt administration to ever occupy the WH speaks volumes..

In a just world Bush Inc. would stand trial for crimes against humanity.

Posted by: Karla | May 28, 2008 1:31 PM

Tim: Copyright that bumper sticker slogan!

"What Bill Clinton did to a few women George Bush did to us all."

Posted by: Chuck D | May 28, 2008 1:28 PM

The right-wing has tried to "kill" so many messengers over the past few years, there must be a pile of bodies a mile high.

I'm glad the Dixie Chicks recovered... she was right after all IMHO.

So my question to all the right-wingnuts out there... who gets to be an "unbiased" judge of this President, Rupert Murdoch of Fox News?

Posted by: David | May 28, 2008 1:28 PM

don't worry, Rove will set the record straight.

Posted by: frank | May 28, 2008 1:25 PM

R. Frazier:

Many disagreed with the Pope and believe that Iraq was a "Just War".

Posted by: JakeD | May 28, 2008 1:05 PM

Why are we still in iraq? I believe Bush doesn't want to pull out on his watch.He should be considered one of the worst President's of all time,who's just in denial and lost.Where's Cheney in some office collecting BIG BIG checks while the American people struggle each day.What a waste of tax payers $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 28, 2008 1:04 PM

He should have listened to Pope John Paul who said it was not a justifiable war.

Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to war."

McClellan includes the charges in a 341-page book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," that delivers a harsh look at the White House and the man he served for close to a decade. He describes Bush as demonstrating a "lack of inquisitiveness," says the White House operated in "permanent campaign" mode, and admits to having been deceived by some in the president's inner circle about the leak of a CIA operative's name.

It would be utterly inconsistent to praise McClellan for his revelations, now that he needed to find something sensational from his anxiously subservient, painful-to-watch tenure as Press Secretary, which at best could only evoke sympathy for his agonized predicament. It might have helped in eliciting such praise if these revelations had emerge at some point between the end of his tenure and the beginnings of promotion for the book.

Ironically, in now falling to the likely demands of his current masters for something to add spice and sales power to an otherwise agonizing episode, one might posit that he is repeating the same pattern that occurred during his work in the Administration. Nevertheless, this is a man who has demonstrated beyond doubt his characteristic fear of censure. That he comes forward with these accusations, despite putative motive, is of considerable note.

The claims that McClellan makes have the benefit of being supported by numerous contemporary and highly confirming reports (Woodward, Suskind et al). Now, the fact that even McClellan, the truest of camp followers, endorses them, gives them an additional bottom line power--the fearful, sweaty, anxious party line stalwart, who was also among those closest to the action, now confirms what all but the most deluded now must know.

McClellan, like other Press Secretaries before him, could have downplayed, soft pedaled, or diffused these critiques--as they did, in their books, which also had sales imperatives. He does not. Instead, he emphasizes and confirms the critical through-line narrative--a war, driven and unvetted by a lack of necessary curiosity regarding likely effects on our nation, our citizens and the world; a sales campaign yoked to this poorly vetted effort in the most cynical ("one doesn't unveil new products in August") fashion, and, overall, a brutal narrowness of vision, combined with the excitedly combative anti-intellectualism, masked by a shallow pose of ideological self-certainty (i.e. half-blindness) that characterized this administration. His willingness to express, in print, Bush's tendency to convince himself of what he wanted to believe, and this Administration's embrace of secrecy is genuinely noble and a brave act.

sounds like a disgruntled employee. You would think he saw all top secret intelligence that was for the presidents eyes only. It's a pity some mens pride and lust for money is greater than their loyalty to country. He gives himself more credit for knowing the whole story than he deserves. We may want to check Syria for wmd's and biologicals. If I had been Saddam I would have moved them just to make Bush look bad.

Posted by: tshipman@juno.com | May 28, 2008 12:27 PM

Yes, God Bless, Scott McClellan.

Posted by: JakeD | May 28, 2008 12:14 PM

God Bless Scott McClellan.

This is what PATRIOTISM looks like - truth, honesty, courage....

Thank you Scott,

start-loving dot blogspot dot com

Posted by: Start Loving | May 28, 2008 12:10 PM

"gives me chills to have it so boldly and baldly stated by someone who can substantiate it as true fact"

True fact??? Or just one man's version of what happened? McClellan, IMO, has simply found himself a great way to cash in on all the "anti-Bush" fervor in the country today. He stands to make millions!

Posted by: RF | May 28, 2008 12:09 PM

McClellan's theme can be summed up, tellingly enough, from Otter in "Animal House":
"You ****ed up - you trusted us! Hey, make the best of it!"

Posted by: Been here, known that | May 28, 2008 11:48 AM

AT LAST.............the truth!!!

Posted by: Ron White | May 28, 2008 11:47 AM

I knew it all but it gives me chills to have it so boldly and baldly stated by someone who can substantiate it as true fact. Can we bring these men up on charges? Haven't they broken *some* kind of law?

Posted by: nestor | May 28, 2008 11:37 AM

Love it! Too bad these comments come out in time only to discredit a wounded Bush administration on its way out.